The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will be cutting the ribbon on a new 60,000 square foot Veterans Clinic in Joliet on Friday, May 3rd. The new clinic, which actually opened in early March, is part of the VA’s plan to expand health care services for Veterans in Will, Grundy, Kendall and Kankakee Counties. Reaction from area Veterans to the new clinic has been overwhelmingly positive.

"This new Clinic is amazing,” said David Worth, an Army Veteran who was one of the first patients to be seen at the new clinic. “It’s so big and so modern. It makes me feel like our country and our state both really care about how they treat us as Veterans.”

Brian Holland, a Marine Veteran from Joliet who was also seen at the Clinic on the first day it opened, agreed. “It’s going to great to be able to take advantage of the new services that will be offered in this new clinic,” he said. “I’m proud to be a Veteran and proud of the health care I get at the VA.”

Enhanced outpatient services at the new clinic location include women’s health, home based primary care, laboratory, mental health and social work, pharmacy, physical therapy and rehabilitation, retinal imaging, nutrition, geriatrics, and telehealth. The VA will be offering additional outpatient specialty services to meet the demand of Veterans in the area as it continues to unroll even more new services at the clinic in the coming months. Some future services that the clinic will offer are Diagnostic Imaging, Podiatry, Cardiology, Dermatology, Pathology and Laboratory Services and Respiratory Therapy.

“There is a growing Veteran population in the area who need primary care and other ambulatory services,” said Joan Ricard, Director of the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, which will run the clinic location. "This beautiful new clinic will be ideal for us to reach more Veterans with more of the services they need and have earned through their honorable service to our country.”

The new Joliet Veterans Clinic is located at 1201 Eagle Street in Joliet. In late 2011, the VA purchased 4.4 acres at this location, which is the site of the former Silver Cross Hospital. The new clinic offers plenty of parking as well as a modern, spacious interior with lots of new equipment and technology and top quality, professional staff.

"More than 5,000 Veterans are already signed up to receive health care at our Joliet Veterans Clinic," said Director Ricard. "We hope by opening this new Clinic location with expanded services and a modern professional environment, we will be able to reach out and enroll many more Veterans to receive top quality healthcare at the VA.”

Congressman Bill Foster and representatives from Senator Durbin and Senator Kirk’s offices all toured the new Joliet Clinic on March 11th. Former Illinois Congresswomen Judy Biggert and Debbie Halverson, who along with local Veterans groups, played a key role in supporting the concept of the new Veterans Clinic at this location, will be in attendance at the ribbon cutting as will numerous area politicians and Veterans groups. The ribbon cutting for the clinic is set for Friday, May 3rd at 11:00 a.m. Veterans who would like to enroll for VA health care at the Joliet Clinic can walk in between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on weekdays or call the Hines VA Enrollment Hotline at 708-202-8838. For more information about the ribbon cutting event, call 708-202-5627.